World Party’s Karl Wallinger : 1957-2024

[@mazzysmusic]

Correction : He was 66. Still too young.

[@LocalFoe]

Absolutely floored to hear this sad news. Karl is one of my fav singer/songwriter/producer. We've lost a phenomenal artist. I fondly recall playing Goodbye Jumbo in my freshman college dorm-room. Without fail, people would ask me, "who is this band?". Before long you could hear World Party's music pouring out of open doors and windows. Wonderful memories. Thank you, Karl. RIP

[@julianciahaconsulting8663]

Goodbye Jumbo was one of those rare albums that made everyone stop in their tracks and want to know who it was...i think i almost made myself deaf by blasting it endlessly loud on my sony discman for a couple of years.

[@ronaldnock9666]

Love this tribute!

[@davecostello560]

Many comments have focused on the earlier albums, but the most recent, well 2001, album Dumbing Up, is just sublime. Karl is one of those artists who was undoubtedly in his home studio over the last 20 years, squirrelling away musical gems. I hope his family give someone the job of putting together his unreleased material for us all to enjoy, in the same way Jeff Lynne and Dhani did with George's Brainwashed. I'm sure Karl has left us plenty of relevant commentary as well as great tunes that hit home with the times we are living through.

[@M-demo]

Thanks for posting. From the water boys to world party loved it all. My favourite: and I fell back alone, Love Street, Sweet soul dreams, and Always. I miss that man. Sad to hear his passing.

[@boxster21]

Terrible loss 😢 .. Loved Karl / World Party’s music RIP Goodbye jumbo .. timeless 👏👏👏👏

[@genepoole1771]

Thanks. In interviews he seemed a contented, grounded person and, despite the brain aneurism, referred to himself as "lucky". I'd love to have spent a couple of hours with him playing his favourite records and hearing him talk about them.

[@lauraanderson8027]

I love popping in Goodbye Jumbo just for the sheer style of production and sound❤️! Such a pivotal time in my life in moving out on my own, changes going on….that album….!!! Thank you Karl🎼🎸🎹❤️ How I wish I could’ve seen you live!

[@davidellis5141]

Both Private Revolution & Goodbye Jumbo are classic albums. Both him & Mike Scott in the same band was an excess of talent. 🎶 That was the river ..this is the sea 🌊 🎶

[@julianciahaconsulting8663]

always thought that if Scott and Wallinger had stayed together you could have had a band that could have rivalled the beatles and i am a huge beatles fan

[@stevepayne3660]

I am pleased to say that after my mate Andy turned me onto Mr Walinger I made it a bit of a mission to do the same. What an absolute genius musician and songwriter.

[@brucybabyy7355]

Bummer I was listening to goodbye jumbo the other day RIP.

[@julianciahaconsulting8663]

it is such a great summer album isnt it?

[@DamGreek]

Mazzy....totally agree with you on Karl's ability to take all of his influences and create amazing music that sounded familiar. I was a huge fan of his, and I would always tell friends "You got to hear this guy". Most just ignored me, but it just gets to that thing some say, "Those who know...know. And the rest, just miss out." Karl is not mentioned too often when great songwriters are talked about....and I've always felt that this was a shame. I know he won't be forgotten by those of us who know, but I hope now, many will explore his great catalog. ARKEOLOGY is simply brilliant as well. Dig, DmGrk

[@moodlefyful]

Played Goodbye Jumbo to death on cassette back in the early 90s...fantastic songwriter.. RIP.

[@williamcalvert4106]

Great tribute to Karl. It's not jumping on a bandwagon, just acknowledging great music that people may not have heard. Also, RIP to Eric Carmen.

[@Jonny_C73]

Amazing musician. I was a huge World Party fan. I’ll miss him.

[@stephendutch1760]

Only found out today Karl Wallinger has passed, one of my very favourite musicians. I have all his music with World Party. I was lucky enough to see World Party live, once in 2000 with a full band just after 'Dumbing Up' came out and then in 2012 as a three piece band. I always play his music, so gutted. Egyptology is my favourite album.

[@mickontherock1]

What a beautiful tribute. A very underrated musician rip Karl.

[@colincampbell8871]

Great articulation and analysis of this hugely talented artist. I've loved his music since day one. Major Bummer. RIP Carl.

[@jvaz6264]

Totally underrated!!! RIP 😢

[@newspapertaxis1]

Sad to hear this.....Such a talent!!! At times sounded like Jeff Lynne..Vocally and Muscically

[@ladytron4220]

Thoughtful tribute of such a great lesser known talent. Well done Mazzy, travel on well Karl.

[@richardjohnson3665]

Hi Mazzy, thanks for putting together this very nice career spanning summary of Karl's World Party albums. He was a force of nature for sure. The real deal.

[@gavaxemanspins]

Reading the obituary on the bbc I didn’t realise how ill he had been in the last 20 years - he did well to come back from that - great under appreciated artist- Goodbye Jumbo is a classic- Ain’t Gonna Come Til I’m Ready is such a great song and arranged superbly RIP

[@padzzz9377]

Legend! His music will last forever! World Party is arguably the best songwriting of the late 80s. Made me to who I am today. As long as I live, his music will live🙌🏼

[@bobzubb]

listening to his works while I work is transcendent....oh yes! Hey his vocals sound so familiar.....Lennon, Jagger, Jeff Lynne, Aaron Neville......Massive thanks, comrade...

[@tomedmonson501]

Thanks for this tribute. I remember going absolutely nuts for World Party back in the 80s/early 90s. You said it right: you could hear his musical influences, but he had fully processed them into something of his own, not just trying to do lame imitations. I’m sorry to hear of his passing.

[@n.s.8015]

You put into words something I've taken for granted - that is that Karl's music always had presence and took the stage like they were all classics that everyone knew.

[@tomrobinson5776]

World Party were great. Is It Like Today, Ship Of Fools, Way Down Now, All Come True etc. Incredible run of stellar singles.

[@peterkadelbach7010]

Thanks for posting that worthy tribute to one of the underground greats. Listened to all the albums yesterday. I need to find the vinyl copy of Egyptology now! 🙏

[@cosmicdrifter287]

Beautiful tribute Mazzy.I Know you're a big World Party fan.There is a box-set of This is the sea era just recently released.You broke the very sad news to me.Very talented musician indeed. R.I.P.Karl Wallinger.

[@runningbeard7380]

I remember hearing "Message" on college radio in the late 80s while in high school, and instandly fell in love with it. I think they were on SNL around that time (?) or Late Night, anyway, I was thrilled to see them perform.

[@honuman39]

Love Street is one of the greatest songs about being in love I've ever heard. It has an unbelievably great guitar solo. Goodbye Jumbo is a perfect album and every WP album has at least a handful of good songs on each. I heard he had a heart attack in the mid/late 2000's. I got to see him live and he stood outside the venue after the show smiling and shaking hands with anyone who wanted to. He was so grateful and happy it seemed. I've never seen another performer of his stature do anything like it. He will be missed.

[@richardjones186]

It was amazing how he could reference past music but really make it his own - I'm thinking of Way Down Now with its Sympathy For The Devil "ooh-oohs", Sunshine with its Getting In Tune bridge and Another 1000 Years with its Baby, You're A Rich Man intro.

[@franksmusic2880]

I was so sorry to hear that we lost Karl, I too was fan of this group starting with the 1986 debut. I have all the albums and one ep on cd. I bought the remastered versions in the 2000’s. My favorite is the Egyptology album. I like that you do these videos on artists that we lost, thanks Mazzy. ✌️

[@ediblehorse]

I hadn't heard. Yeah, major talent. Saw them on the Goodbye Jumbo tour and they were excellent. Saw him later solo. RIP Karl.

[@discosdevinilcasettesyunca5839]

I have his first three albums and the EP. Incredible music! Really amazing. And yes, Goodbye Jumbo is the masterpiece. Thank you Karl Wallinger and thanks for the video Mazzy. Greetings from Monterrey, Mexico

[@danny1959]

I love that Private Revolution album. I’ve had it on vinyl since it was released. It was the first time I had ever heard of Sinead O’Connor (R.I.P.).

[@neilbruce4201]

Such sad news. A real talent. Saw World Party live, an evening full of great melodies and guitars.

[@constancecasper4516]

Love Karl's music. I'm sad.

[@chrispawlus1226]

RIP Karl, love his music, was lucky to see him live on the arkeology tour in Glasgow, one of the most enjoyable gigs I've ever been to and I've been to a fair few over the years

[@false_binary]

Rarely did I run into another World Party fan growing up but when I did we were buds for sure lol! Rip Karl, I can recall seeing them on Austin City Limits and could not be drug away from the screen. 😢

[@ConglomerationCat]

This is crushing....he played a right handed guitar upside down left handed like I do.

[@roberthurley1685]

A lovely appreciation and tribute. The love and passion you demonstrate for all the music we all love is why I watch.

[@nigelgilbey312]

Thanks Mazzy Wonderful artist he was like a sponge with all his influences but fantastic artist great songwriter so underrated but the best people seem to always be meet him when he played the Roundhouse in London great person so friendly and genuine to young 66. Thank you Karl your music will live forever ❤

[@digger65uk]

Such a nice tribute Mazzy thank you. Rest in peace, Karl. Karl Wallinger, surely one of Britain’s greatest musicians and songwriters, certainly up there with the best, but criminally underrated. Okay, that’s not everyone’s fault. Just five albums in 35 years (and of course, several stunning B-sides) hard to keep your name going, but he certainly could write a tune. I mean, number one with "She’s the One". Still, nobody seems to realise it was written by him. It would’ve been nice of Robbie to have mentioned him at the BRITs when he won best song. Back in the 90s, me and my girl Jane saw World Party play live on several occasions. They were “our band” and our favourite song together was Love Street from the Goodbye Jumbo masterpiece. That’s one of many moments since we spoke about when I first met Karl in February 2021. He was on holiday in Suffolk. I was doing a bit of work at a holiday village there and I looked up, and there was Karl with his family. His wife, Suzie and children, Louis and Nancy. I’d only just seen World Party a few months before at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. It was certainly one of the best gigs I had seen him play. When Karl and the kids were out playing golf, Suzie and I chatted about Karl’s work and the Shepherd’s Bush concert and many other things. She also told me that Carl had recorded his version of the complete White album, using exactly the same microphones as the Beatles did. It was funny when Karl found out I was a World Party fan he said we should have you taken out and stuffed! Later that weekend on that very same holiday Karl famously suffered a massive brain aneurysm. I only found out several weeks later. We know that he disappeared, into more even obscurity, and spent a few years recovering. Still making music, but none of us were able to listen to it. Fast forward a few years to 2012, and on November 2, my friend Nick and I walked round the back of the Royal Albert Hall, where World Party were playing their reunion spectacle in front of the packed house and cameras. Who is the first person we bumped into smoking a quick fag by the back door? Yes, it was Mr. Wallinger. We had a good chat with him. He offered me a fag. I presume he was trying to calm his nerves before going on stage to such a large audience. Then bizarrely, the comedian and talk-show host Clive Anderson turned up, and we were all standing around having a chat. Wished him luck and said our goodbyes. The last time I saw Karl perform was in Cambridge at the Junction, I think it was the following year. Possibly April 2013. His son Louis was selling merchandise. Another stellar performance by his dad and the rest of the band, of course. And that was it. And I fell back alone. What a beautiful soul. Taken away from us too soon, but when you’ve written a great song, it’s been written forever, it cannot be unwritten. Just like a film star, you are now immortal. You’ve left your legacy imprinted and recorded. Thoughts go out to his friends and family. You’ll be greatly missed. You are a legend. Stephen Dawson

[@iconicon5642]

Hi Mazzy, Bought Egyptology following your tribute. For some reason I hadn't bought it in the 90's but it's superb right there with Goodbye Jumbo and Bang. Hailing from Prestatyn makes him Merseybeat and his melodicism confirms.

[@MC3achern]

Thank you for the happiness

[@jimmccloskey4254]

Bravo. I greatly enjoy these homages.

[@jonathanpearman1052]

Sorry to hear this. Saw World Party at Konserthuset in Stockholm where Wallinger put on a fantastic performance. He was touring his first album outside the Waterboys. RIP Karl😢❤

[@donaldwesterhazy9333]

I came to Karl thru the Water Boys. Great music all around.

[@oldworldchris4187]

Great musician, I will check out all those albums you talked about, Thanks for the vid!

[@thesurfacespins]

Thanks for the video Mazzy. Sad News about Karl. World Party are a favorite of mine.

[@jeff8ball]

Thank you for a lovely tribute 💔to a great musician.

[@luckylunaloops]

Thank you for this video. World Party has beautiful songs that I cherished for decades and will continue to cherish until I die.

[@ruudvandiermen8747]

Goodbye Karl ,thank you for way down now,whole off rhe moon,and so many more,i will miss you...,Karl i hope you are with the angels,and have no pain,you gave us so much....my generation is dying,but we had the greatest time in music, Love and Peace to you Karl..❤

[@DuncanPrior]

Thanks for this, a lovely tribute to Karl Wallinger. All the albums are brilliant and thinking about them takes me back to when they were released. I saw them in Portsmouth UK. That’s the way love goes by Janet Jackson was playing and then they came on and started with Is it like today? I can still remember the harmony they sang, ‘How could it come to this…’ . Incredible.

[@stevenospam4216]

Yes, yes, yes, @DuncanPrior!

[@lucienlachance9604]

I was not aware of Karl Wallinger passing. It’ so sad ! What a great artist. Éven without knowing him you could tell that he was a good guy ! It is sad that so many people think that She’s the one is a Robbie Williams song (same feeling about Stephen Duffy’s The Postcard)

[@RoSaWa386-33]

I started my journey with GOODBYE JUMBO and was so enamored that I had to drive around cities to find the PRIVATE REV CD. I pretty much spent two years with Karl's music, then BANG - my expectations or hopes were pretty high. And I liked it immediately. And all of us waited and waited and waited but EGYPTOL is still a deserted island collection.

[@patbarr1351]

Thanks Mazzy. I have *Egytptology* & that spiral bound CD collection. I was there when World Party did an in-store performance at Fingerprints Music in Long Beach, Calif. in 2013.

[@HoomanR17]

Saw the post by Joseph Arthur earlier today, nice that you put the dots together .. big fan of Goodbye Jumbo, also had no idea he played on the Waterboys album.. incredible..beautiful connections.

[@MrBrutal33]

A brilliant songwriter

[@scottweaver4059]

Love his music. Will miss him

[@karimhauser6658]

Great loss. RIP Karl. I still believe his looks in 1985 (curly hair, glasses) inspired Prince's look on Sigh o the times in 1987.

[@edwardmulholland7912]

This is very sad news, he was incredibly talented man. RIP Karl.

[@keithbertschin1213]

Man, absolutely love Bang! album

[@timemer3068]

That Arkeology set is wonderful. That's how a box set should be done. R.I.P. Karl❤

[@davidbourne6478]

Nice Tribute.

[@mazzysmusic]

Thanks!✌🏼

[@Universityofvinyl]

Very sad news. Love World Party

[@AlanKPet]

Thank you for the remembrance. Somehow World Party slipped past me. Checked them out and ordered 4 albums!! I really like the remembrance videos. Artists, especially those whose work effected our lives, should be given time. Thank you.

[@macster1878]

RIP Karl. Great video Mazzy. Never worry about doing a video like this especially for an under appreciated artist like Karl. Glad he got a kick back from Robbie Williams for She's the One. Although he hated it, it allowed him to continue his way of life. All the best to all who knew him.

[@Carl-x8y3c]

Hello. I didn't know until now about Karl's death. I recently was playing them and thinking back to the 1980s. A very good band they were.

[@91pastor]

Nice appreciation video on Karl! Thanks Mazzy!

[@davidmatthews9547]

Sad that you have moved on Karl, but glad that you will be reunited with Ringo. Thank you for all the amazing songs and albums and for the great gig in Paris.

[@robbiedetroitstigermanviny8883]

Thanks for turning me on to a band I never heard of before Mazzy!

[@rpatel9901]

This is the sea is still an Iconic album and still holds up today

[@blindsteinofthemountain3831]

One of my favorite Waterboys tunes is World Party. The line, "I've got a madman of my own to contend with," put the world in appropriate perspective for me. Of course, I played Goodbye Jumbo to tears. Very sad to hear this news.

[@wayneferreira9041]

I am heartbroken to learn of his passing, have been a great fan and admirer of his work with The Water Boys and World Party. So sad to hear this news.

[@chrisames2795]

Thanks Maz Love Karl for obvious reasons. World Party 🎈 s just better than pedestrian schlock. Karl was brilliant. That’s a fact.

[@danielcombs3207]

Hello Mazzy, I really enjoyed the music that Karl created with World Party. Sadly I just read that Eric Carmen has passed away. Really sad news. I was a fan of The Raspberries and his solo career. May they both R.I.P.

[@guillermosantamarinalagune6184]

Gracias por la noticia, Massy. Me entristece. Wallinger también me recuerda al mejor Van Morrison, especialmente en una de las canciones favoritas de mi vida: And I fell back alone, la cual siempre me trae lágrimas a los ojos. Lo recordaremos siempre con admiración!

[@ThisMichaelBrown]

Nice review and tribute, thanks! 🙏

[@erikjansen8597]

Great video. This is probably a stretch, but I've always felt that if Dylan and Lennon had a love child, it would be Karl Wallinger. I think you may have just validated that sentiment.

[@mazzysmusic]

Oh yeah ✌🏼

[@catherine6653]

This is so sad. I ❤ World Party music and the masterpiece, Whole Of the Moon, Waterboys with Karl on the piano.

[@barrysayer9751]

So sad to hear that Karl Wallinger, AKA, World Party has passed. Behind Lennon/ McCartney and Jagger/Richards he was my favourite songwriter. His songs were super melodic and filled with love, peace, positivity and hope for the world and mankind. He will be sadly missed but has left a superb legacy of work.

[@JonPickles]

The Bang CD I bought at the time in the UK and it had the same cover art as your Bang CD.

[@johnpyle1022]

hey Mazzy, thanks for this, Karl Wallinger deserved a fitting tribute....as does Steve Harley, of Cockney Rebel, who died earlier this week. I'm wondering do you know much about him? I'm spinning my SH & CR records this week and if you haven't heard him before then you really should check out. Like KW, SH was a terrific songwriter and also didn't get the attention he deserved. In my opinion anyway! Cheers!

[@Niels133]

Just played the Egyptology cd, before I did go on YT to watch this. I like all his albums.

[@l.a.f.4421]

"Ship Of Fools" was, one of the best Songs, ever crafted.

[@ivesbk]

Just seeing your post and can bring myself to watch yet. Saw World Party twice. PRevolution tour and then on Goodbye Jumbo. Waterboys had me from the beginning. Big Music, Church not made with hands. Waterboys, World Party, Prefab Sprout (Steve Mqueen)and 1st two Blue Nile Lp’s are desert island music. So Fn sad about Karl.

[@southsheff]

I have often been looking to see if any new music was coming from Karl but sadly not now. I have it all apart from Arkeology which is rare and pricey now. RIP

[@johnnymarinarasauce]

RIP Karl. Goodbye Jumbo is a classic and will forever remain a favourite of mine. I’ve always pronounced his surname Wall-in-ger as opposed to Wall-ing-er. Good to know . Is it too late baby, Is it too long now Is it too long for you to make the change? Gotta love yourself to make a better day, better day. Thank you Karl. ❤

[@adamrooney6711]

One of most talented musicians ever to live. Should of been more well known but you know what i liked being part of the karl wallinger and world party secret. We fans liked knowing, we knew and not many others did. If that makes sense. RIP Karl.

[@ccarney1126]

He wrote “Shes the one” made famous by Robbie Williams.

[@mikecaldwell4442]

no apology needed......to educate neophytes about some artist who has NO exposure is a great thing....sing it brother!!

[@STEVEFINNERTY]

so sad ,karl was a friend lived in the same town Hastings UK ,

[@rite-note1702]

Thanks for this, my personal favs of the Waterboys releases were the ones he was involved with. And of course I loved all his World Party releases. Truly a sad day.

[@chuckstandiford2976]

Way underrated, artist! Will be missed. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me before your Indianapolis, IN shows.

[@joecarrera1799]

I don't think it's "jumping on a bandwagon" if you honor Karl Wallinger. Sadly if you're not into music, you probably won't know who he is--or was. His greatest success was probably Robbie Williams taking "She's the One" to the top of the UK charts. (True to his nature, Karl was ambivalent about this. ) He was a genuine artist. RIP, Karl.

[@Rushscored4]

Talented man ❤

[@timsmith3621]

One really great song of World Party that doesn't get mentioned much is "Take It Up."